Academic talent for hire?

In the face of the U.K.'s "Brexit" vote and the perceptions that the Trump Presidency will negatively impact higher education and research support, some countries are throwing out the welcome mat and offering significant packages. The U.K. is defending its research position and Canada, France, and Germany have established new funding sources to lure U.S. researchers to their countries. Canada's initiative was reportedly stimulated by inquiries from U.S. researchers who have expressed interest in relocating.

It remains to be seen how successful the funding strategy will be to encourage academic relocations. Some faculty in the countries offering the research packages have raised questions about targeting only international faculty as well as the fact that the grants are to individuals, which neglects to support the critical importance of collaborative research.

Regardless of the impact, the message is clear - academics are nervous about the Trump Presidency and other countries intend to take advantage of the opportunity.